Apparatus for obtaining high-tension alternating current from low-tension direct current



Jan, 17, 1939. R J, E. o s 2,144,593

APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING HIGH TENSION ALTERNATING CURRENT FROM LOW TENSION DIRECT CURRENT Filed Feb. 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wuuuHO FIG].

35m 1939. R4 .1v ELSOME-JONES 2,144,593

APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING HIGH TENSION ALTERNATING CUHRENT FROM LOW TENSION DIRECT CURRENT Filed Feb. 25, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fEJELSOMf-JONES Patented Jan. 11, 1939 APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING HIGH-TEN- SION ALTERNATING CURRENT FRODI LOW-TENSION DIRECT CURRENT Ronald Job Elsome-Jones, Mill mu, London, England, assignor to Technical inventions Limited, London, England 1 Application February 23,1937, Serial No. 127,248 In Great Britain February 26, 1936 5 Claims. (Cl. 175-364) This invention relates to apparatus for obtaining high tension alternating current from low tension direct current and has more especial reference to apparatus suitable more particularly for use on motor vehicles to supply high tensuflicient direct current supplied by the battery into pseudo-alternating current capable of transformation to the high tension requisite and of the necessary wattage, say from 3,000 to 10,000 volts in the case of a neon sign, or 300 volts in the case of a radio instrument. 5

s sion current for radio receivers, or, itmay be, In one embodiment of combined transformer for neon or similar illuminated signs. and motor-driven circuit interrupter according Hitherto, apparatus for producing high tento the invention, a laminated core, made up of sion alternating current to operate illuminated rectangular Stalloy frame units, carries a secsigns, radio instruments and the like on motor ondary winding around the stacked top limbs vehicles has been of a complicated and expenof the frame. sive nature requiring expert attention and main- The primary windingit may be in two partstenance or in some cases interrupted D. C. has is wound around the bottom limb of the frame been produced from the vehicles electric installafrom which project pole pieces, the rotor being tron by magnetic VibilitiOl'l or magnetic make and supported for rotation between said pole pieces 15 Weak and being suitably borne on anti-friction bear- The present invention has for its object to ings- I provide simply and cheaply constructed appara- On the rotor shaft between its supporting beartus furnishing a uniform and consistent supply ings is a slip ring and commutator with which 29 oi high tension current with a minimum of care co-operate brushes, one adapted for connection and attention. to the primary winding and the other bearing Further and favourable objects will appear on the commutator and adapted for connection from the following description. to the motor vehicle battery or accumulator to Broadly stated, apparatus for producing high complete the primary circuit.

tension current according to the invention in- Alternate commutator segments are connected 25 cludes a step-up transformer with the primary to the slip ring, inter ed ate Seg e being of which a circuit interrupter advantageously a dead, the number and disposition of live segrepulsion motor, is combined, the transformer ments corresponding with the number and disprimary serving the dual purpose of operating position of the poles on the rotor.

the motor and also of inducing high tension cur- Reference will now be had to the accompany- 30 rent in the secondary circuit. ing drawings where the invention is illustrated Conveniently the shaft of the electric motor by way of example and wherein Fig. 1 is a circuit carries a commutator or other appropriate form diagram of a simple form of the apparatus, Fig. of interrupter wired in the circuit of the primary 2 is a similar circuit diagram of apparatus furso that on the latter being connected to a source nished also with po v selfrstarting p 35 of direct current, e. g. an accumulator, the ap- Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a plan and eleparatus functions as a booster furnishing high vation of a practical embodiment of the appapotential interrupted or pseudo-alternating curratus diagrammatically represented in Fig. 1, rent in the secondary circuit. while Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram similar to Fig. 1

4o Normally the motor will start immediately the of apparatus suitable for the production of full primary circuit is closed although to ensure sel'fwave alternating current. Fig. 6 is a circuit starting of the apparatus under all conditions diagram showin a d v p nt f t arra of use there is preferably associated with the ment illustrated in Fig. 1 a e the Operastarting switch an auxiliary momentarily oper- $1011 of a SeCOnd transformer from the same able magnetic impulse starter for the rotor, the source of direct current supply- 45 winding of which starter may advantageously Referring now to the drawings but first more also serve as a smoothing choke. particularly to Fig. 1, the transformer c0re-of-- For motor vehicles equipped as customary with laminated iron, Stalloy or other customary matea lighting circuit including a storage battery or rial is e e y designated accumulator, say of 12 volts, and in conjunction 2 indicates the primary winding and 3 the 50 therewith an engine-driven generator, the mo secondary winding which is shown centre tapped tor combined with the transformer operates a to earth at l. positive circuit breaker or interrupter in the cir- 5 indicates the motor vehicle battery or other cult of the transformer primary, which converts source of supply and 6 generally designates the b6 interrupter included in the circuit of the primary winding 2 and having an interrupter brush I bearing on the commutator of the interrupter 5, a pick-up brush- 8 bearing on a slip ring 9 of the motor shaft as hereafter described.

I indicates a smoothing condenser shunted" across the primary winding 2 and its circuit interrupter while H are alternative tappings on the primary winding to suit the apparatus to different voltage outputs.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3 and 4 where like reference numerals denote like or equivalent parts, the laminated core i of the apparatus is composed of closed rectangular frame type units stacked together around one major limb E2 of which is woundthe primary 2, the opposite limb i3 carrying the secondary winding 3 in two parts.

Projecting from the limb l2 arepole pieces It for the rotor i5, such pole pieces being conveniently formed integrally with the central laminations or units making up the core.

The rotor I5 is carried by a spindle i5 suitably borne in a pedestal", of brass or other non-magnetic material, mounted on a base plate II of similar material, anti-friction ball bearings 19 and 20 being shown, although plain or other bearings may be utilized.

Between the bearings I9 and 20 the spindle I6 carries a slip ring 2I which is associated the pick-up brush 8 of conventional form and adjacent the slip ring 2| is a commutator 22 upon which bears the main interrupter brush i, all of which are insulated from the spindle and pedestal.

The rotor I5 is shown electrically insulated from the spindle l6 by a sleeve 23 of ebonite or the like and magnetically insulated therefrom by a brass bush 24 and the commutator 22 is correspondingly insulated from the spindle l6.

On the primary circuit being closed by an appropriate switch 28 current from the battery 5 passes through the primary winding 2--which also serves as the field winding of the poles i4 of the rotor I 5whereat the latter commences to rotate taking with it the commutator 22 which successively makes and breaks the circuit, it being understood that alternate segments 25 of such commutator are electrically connected with the slip ring 2|, whileintermediate segments 26 of such commutator are dead segments isolated by v v insulation.

With the secondary circuit appropriately completed, for instance by the inclusion of a neon or like sign 29 (see Fig. 1), high tension 'iiurrent is induced in suchcircuit, the core I providing a closed path forthe' inducing flux and only a very small part of the main flux being used at the motor poles l4 owing to the absence of torque on the spindle so that a secondary output of the utmost efficiency is obtained.

The number of live segments 25 corresponds with the number of poles 21 on the rotor I5 as does the disposition of such segments, the arrangement being such that the interrupter brush I reaches a dead segment to break the circuit just before the rotor poles 21 and the field poles I4 coincide, there being four poles and four live segments in this embodiment, although as will be appreciated the number may be varied according to the character of the supply and of the seconde ary output desired.

The frequency of the output current can be readily regulated by adjusting the speed of the rotor, for instance by interposing appropriate resistance in its circuit.

Providing the brush I is in contact with a live segment 25, the rotor I5 will commence to revolve immediately the primary circuit is completed by its switch, although to ensure self-starting of the apparatus under all conditions of use, resort may v conveniently be had to the magnetic impulse starter diagrammatically represented in Fig, 2 at 30 and carried by one of the poles l4.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, 3! represents the moving contact of a starting switch, 32 the off,contact and 33 the on contact closing the primary circuit, while 34 is an intermediate starting contact brushed by the arm 3| during its movement to operative position and energizing the winding 34 of the aforementioned starter magnet 30 which thereupon co-acts with the adjacent pole 21 of the rotor l5 to bring the shaft I6 to a position in which the brush 1 is bearing on a live segment 25. Consequently on the arm 3! of the switch reaching the contact 33 the primary circuit is closed and the apparatus immediately operates inducing a high-potential interrupted or pseudo-alternating current in the secondary circuit.

InvFig. 2 it will be noted that the coil 34 of the startingmagnet 30 connects the primary through a condenser 35 to earth at 35 whereby it functions during the normal operation of the apparatus as a peak volt choke.

There is also shown for the more effective control of the apparatus a small high resistance control brush 37 which is connected in parallel with the interrupter brush. I but is independent thereof as regards setting.

Reverting now again to Figs. 3 and 4, the interrupter brush I is adjustable being carried on an arm 40 pivoted to a bush-4| projecting from theend face of the pedestai l1, adjustment being permitted by slackening a nut 42, which on being tightened, fixes the adjusted position of the brush i which latter is spring pressed into engagement with the commutator 22 as customary to take up wear. The control brush 31 is independently adjustable by means of its crank arm mounting 38.

Where an output more nearly corresponding with alternating current is required the arrangement diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5 may be utilized. In this figure the primary winding 2 is centre tapped at 45, the centre tapping being connected to one pole of the battery or accumulator. The respective ends 46 and 41 of the primary winding are connected to slip rings 48 and 49, the slip ring 48 being in turn connected to diametrically opposite segments 50 on. the commutator 6 and the slip ring 49 being similarly connected to the opposite pair of segments 5|, the segments 26 intermediate the live segments 50 and 5| being insulated as in the previous embodiments.

The interrupter brush I bearing on the commutator is connected to the other pole of the battery 5 and in operation the primary circuit is alternately completed through the left hand half between the centre tapping and the end 45- and through the right hand half-between the centre tapping l5 and the end 41, a secondary output closely resembling full wave alternating current being thereby obtained.

:of example only and that in place of the rectangular frame section core any appropriate form' of core providing a closed path for the inducing flux may be utilized, e. g. one composed of interleaved F section laminations, the rotor being dis- -a,144,sos

posed between pole pieces formed at or adjacent the bases of the 1" section units. Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6, the combined transformer and interrupter circuit is similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, a commutator 6 being interposed in the circuit'of the transformer primary 2 and having an interrupter brush 1. In this developed arrangement, however, the commutator 6 and interrupter brush 1 are included also in the circuit of a second and independent transformer, the primary 52 of which is connected on the one hand to one pole of the battery and on the other through a brush 53 hearing on a slip ring 54 iixed'for rotation with the rotor shaft and in electrical connection with intermediate segments 28 of the commutator, alternate segments 25 thereof being connected to the slip ring 8 as in the previous embodiments. Alternatively, the second transformer with its brush S3, slip ring 84 and intermediate segments 2! may be-wired in the circuit of an independent source of supply.

In this way one combined transformer and interrupter assembly, such for instance as is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, may serve the additional purpose of interrupting the primary circuit of an entirely independent transformer, thus to obtain from such independent transformer high tension alternating current from a common or different source of direct current supply.

Finally, the secondary output may be taken through a supplementary commutator on the rotor shaft i B where a high voltage rectified current is required.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for obtaining high tension cur-.

rent from low tension direct current comprising a closed transformer core, primary and second ary windings on the closed portion of said core, pole pieces integral with and projecting from said core, a rotor having poles co-acting with said pole pieces and a commutator'for breaking the circuit of said primary winding having a number of live segments equal to the number of poles on the rotor and disposed in set angular relation to such rotor poles with intermediate dead segments.

2. Apparatus for obtaining high tension current from low tension direct current according to claim 1 including a starting switch and a magnetic impulse starter for said rotor momentarily energized during closure of the said startin switch to initiate rotation of the rotor.

3. Apparatus for obtaining high tension current from low tension direct current according to claim 1 including a starting switch and a magnetic impulse starter for said rotor momentarily operated during closing of the starting switch having a coil for the impulse starter magnet normally earthing the primary winding of the transformer through a condenser and thus serving as a peak volt choke.

4. Apparatus for obtaining high tension current from low tension direct current according to claim 1 having aninterrupter brush bearing on the commutator and including a high resistance control brush associated with said interrupter brush, but adjustable on the commutator independently thereof.

v 5. apparatus for obtaining from a source of direct current, alternating current of diflerent voltage comprising a transformer with primary and secondary windings on a closed core having integral projecting pole pieces, a rotor with poles co-acting with such pole pieces, a commutator having a number of live segments equal to said poles and disposed in set angular relation with said poles and with intermediate dead segments, and a brush cooperating with said commutator to interrupt the circuit of said primary winding for transformation of the input.

RONALD J. ELSOME-JONEB. 

